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Panthers Had A Devil Of A Time Sunday

SUNRISE (CBS4) – The Florida Panthers had a devil of a time Sunday at Sunrise when New Jersey wrested a win in a 2 – 1 win over them.

David Clarkson and Brian Rolston scored goals and Martin Brodeur stopped 25 shots in his return from injury.

The Devils are 17-2-2 in their past 21 games, and climbed within nine points of eighth-place Carolina in the Eastern Conference, while the Panthers remained eight points back of the postseason cutoff.

Brodeur had not played since injuring his right knee on Feb. 6 in Montreal.

Marty Reasoner scored for Florida and Tomas Vokoun made 24 saves.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead at 5:46 of the second period. Rod Pelley took a shot from the slot and Vokoun blocked it.

The puck bounced out to the left corner of the crease, and Clarkson swept in a backhand shot past Vokoun for his ninth goal of the season.

The Devils stretched their lead to 2-0 a few minutes later on Rolston’s power-play goal. The Devils won the faceoff and Dainius Zubrus pushed the puck out to Rolston above the left circle. His slap shot went through Vokoun’s pads at 9:11.

Reasoner’s goal came at 15:31 of the third. Michal Repik brought the puck out from behind the net to Reasoner at the left corner of the crease. His shot beat Brodeur.

Notes: Florida F Rostislav Olesz has been placed on injured reserve because of a knee injury from Friday’s game at Atlanta. … F Chris Higgins broke his thumb in that game and will be out indefinitely. … The Panthers recalled LW Kenndal McArdle and RW Hugh Jessiman from AHL Rochester. … Ilya Kovalchuk had a 12-game points streak snapped.